Developing Language Analysis Skills
LO: to understand audience and purpose in further detail; to be able to apply this to
other texts
Some key terminology for this lesson
Implied meaning
Where inference (reading between the lines) is needed to
access the underlying meaning of a text or discourse
Subtext
Another name for the underlying or implied meaning
Audience
address
Audience
positioning
Synthetic
personalisation
The way in which a writer or speaker addresses the
people they are writing for or speaking to
The assumptions made in a text about its readers’
background knowledge and understanding, attitudes and
values in order to guide them towards an interpretation
‘the simulation of private, face-to-face, person to person
discourse in public mass-audience discourse – print,
radio, television’ (Norman Fairclough, 1995)
Audience Address
Watch this clip of J.K.
Rowling’s speech at the
Harvard commencement
ceremony in 2011.
(Watch until 1:21)
How does Rowling use different forms of audience address to
generate a relationship between herself and audience?
Consider:
- naming listeners as individuals
- jokes
- insights into the way she sees the audience
- references to shared knowledge
Audience Positioning
The assumptions made in a text about its readers’ background
knowledge and understanding, attitudes and values in order to
guide them towards an interpretation
Do you have a good sense of humour and strong
organisational skills? Small computer engineering firm
requires an efficient Personal Assistant to work in a
friendly office.
In what ways dos this job
advertisement position its reader?
Adverts try to position the
reader or listener/viewer as
someone who needs or wants
the product being advertised.
Texts seem to make assumptions about its
readers or listeners so that they become more
sympathetic to, or more willing to, engage with
its meanings and purposes.
Practising analysing the way texts use audience
address and audience positioning
How does this text
address and
position its
audience?
Consider:
• Using third and
second person
address
• Using different
ways of showing
that the writer
understands the
experiences of
drivers
• Backing up its
advice about
avoiding
tiredness with
examples and
evidence
Understanding synthetic personalisation
‘the simulation of private, face-to-face, person to person discourse in public
mass-audience discourse – print, radio, television’ (Norman Fairclough, 1995)
The word ‘simulation’ implies that
this is an illusion: the text is
imitating the effect of someone
addressing you personally.
Look at these horoscopes. How and
why do these texts use synthetic
personalisation? Consider:
- Personal pronouns
- Imperatives
- modal verbs (hedging)
- suggestions that the writer knows
what the reader is thinking
- vague, all-encompassing terms
Taurus 21 April – 21 May
You are annoyed at being interrupted in
the course of making a difficult decision,
but you are trying not to act like the
proverbial bull in a china shop. You know
it makes sense to trust your insticts and
let events take their natural course.
Gemini 22 May – 20 June
You may be caught in two minds about
how to tackle rumours and gossip. Don’t
base your judgements on hearsay but be
prepared to talk openly and you could
have every reason to be optimistic
about your new projects.
Exploring synthetic personalisation
• Explore the ‘Herbal Essences’ advertisement
and identify ways in which synthetic
personalisation is used.
• Remember to use as much technical
terminology as you can by referring to
different language levels.
Other ways in which texts position
audiences
• How does this text signal what audience they
are targeting?
Practising
this
further
Identifying purpose in sharper detail
Colleagues in my workplace often use
misplaced metaphors from manufacturing and
industry.
Observe:
This is taken from a blog
kept by an employee at a
large company.
What is the primary
purpose of the text?
Carve out a niche.
Generate the slogan.
Launch the brand.
So with language like that shouldn’t I be
operating with heavy-duty cutting tools,
connecting turbines to the national grid or
sending ocean liners down the slipway?
Actually I create adverts.
What are the social
purposes of the text?
Consider:
-Verb forms
- lexical/word classes
- discourse markers
- use of humour
- any grammatical patterns
you notice
Identifying
purpose in
sharper
detail
Exemplar analysis
Read the text
below and the
example
analysis of
audience and
purpose.
What is good
about the
analysis?
Homework:
drawing our
new skills
together
Look at this
different extract
from the same
booklet.
Explain how the
text achieves its
purposes and
relates to its
audience. (max
400 words)